New Year's Eve
by Nan Smith
Summary: In this story, following "Best Laid Plans", Lois spends New Year's Eve at the Kents'.


New Year's Eve  
By Nan Smith   
Rated: G  
  
Disclaimer: The familiar characters and settings in this   
story are not mine. They belong to DC Comics, Warner   
Bros., December 3rd Productions and whoever else may   
legally claim them. I'm only borrowing them for a little   
while and am not profiting by their use.  
  
This story follows the ending of "Best Laid Plans" by one   
week. It's just a little piece of fluff, for the fun of it   
and my New Year's present to everyone here.  
  
Nan  
  
  
  
New Year's Eve  
By Nan Smith  
  
Lois sat by the window of the Kent farmhouse, looking out   
at the snowy lawn.   
  
It had been snowing all day, but the snow had stopped   
barely an hour ago, leaving the moon and stars shining down   
from a cloudless sky on a snow-covered landscape so white   
that it hurt the eyes, even at this hour.   
  
From the other room, she could hear Martha Kent humming to   
herself as she moved around the kitchen, and the occasional   
clink of glassware. From the fireplace, red and gold, the   
dancing light from a burning cedar log flickered ruddily   
across the room. The warmth of the Kent family home   
surrounded her. In the corner, the Christmas tree   
glittered in the muted light. Martha had said that they   
would have to take it down tomorrow, and this time she   
could help as she had not been able to when the three Kents   
had decorated it a week ago, although Clark had lifted her   
so that she could have the honor of placing the star on the   
very top.  
  
On her finger, the modest diamond that Clark had given her   
on Christmas Eve glinted with a tiny rainbow of refracted   
lights. She turned her hand, watching the play of color,   
smiling a little. It was the season for miracles, she   
thought, not the least of which was that she was here in   
Smallville with her family--her new family. Her mother was   
in rehab again this year, her father was who-knew-where,   
and her sister was off in California somewhere, "finding   
herself". If not for Clark, she would have been sitting   
alone in her apartment with only her fish for company--or   
worse, she might have been in Paris as the fiancee of the   
wealthy and powerful Lex Luthor, blindly unaware that he   
was one of the world's richest and most successful   
criminals.   
  
But she wasn't. That was her own, personal miracle.  
  
As she watched, a shadow crossed the moon and descended   
swiftly toward the earth. With a movement as graceful as   
any dancer's, Superman landed lightly on the snow-covered   
lawn. He glanced up to see her watching him and a smile   
lit his face. As he strode toward the front steps, his   
form shimmered slightly, resolving itself into the figure   
of Clark Kent. She started to rise, to open the door for   
him, but before she could get to her feet the door opened   
and he stepped inside, closing it behind him.  
  
"Hi, honey." It was an ordinary enough greeting, but to   
her it meant far more than the words. It meant that he had   
the right to address her in that way; that they belonged   
with each other. What could be more of a miracle than   
that?   
  
"How did everything go?" she asked.  
  
He came forward to join her by the window, looking out at   
the snowy landscape. Superman's footprints showed up   
brightly in the otherwise pristine lawn, brilliant under   
the moonlight.  
  
"Metropolis is snowed completely under," he said. "But it   
didn't stop everyone from ringing in the New Year in   
Centennial Park. Superman said his piece and made sure the   
celebration didn't get out of hand before midnight. He   
even rescued a cat from a tree and caught a couple of   
pickpockets who thought people might be enjoying themselves   
so much at midnight that they'd get careless. He left the   
party early, though--to celebrate his own, personal New   
Year."  
  
"I hoped you'd get here before midnight," she said.  
  
He glanced at his watch. "With a good five minutes to   
spare," he said. "I wasn't about to be late. We have the   
beginning of a brand new year together to toast."   
  
There was a slight stir from the direction of the kitchen   
and Martha Kent, followed by Jonathan, entered the living   
room. She was carrying a tray of champagne glasses with   
great care, and Lois could see the amber liquid sparkling   
merrily in them.  
  
"Turn on the television, Jonathan," she commanded. "The   
Topeka station will be doing the countdown."  
  
Her husband hurried to obey, and a few seconds later the   
sound of the announcer's voice, nearly drowned out by music   
and the cheers and shouts of New Year's revelers, filled   
the room. At the bottom of the screen, a digital readout   
was counting down the minutes and seconds until midnight.   
  
"Three minutes," Jonathan said. "Everybody better get a   
glass. Clark brought this champagne home from France   
especially for this occasion."  
  
Clark selected one for Lois and one for himself as the   
countdown continued. Lois accepted it with a smile.  
  
Jonathan lifted his glass. "I have a toast," he said. "To   
Lois and Clark--'And they lived happily ever after'."  
  
Martha smiled. "To my new daughter," she said.  
  
"To my new family," Lois said, remembering what she had   
been thinking about a few minutes earlier.  
  
Clark glanced at the television, and Lois saw that the   
countdown clock was down to only a few remaining seconds.   
"To a new beginning," he said.  
  
The clock reached zero and the crowd on the television   
raised a cheer. Fireworks and glittering confetti filled   
the screen.  
  
"Happy New Year, everybody," Jonathan said. Together, they   
drank the champagne.  
  
The End  
  
Happy New Year, everyone!  
  
Nan   
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